Friday’s event will start with free breakfast and networking followed by a news update from Aycliffe Business Park Community, including updates from recent ABPC board meetings and progress of the board’s ongoing On The Map campaign.

Then Andy Palmer, head of strategy programmes and performance at Durham County Council (DCC), will provide further details about the ongoing developments near the site next to McDonalds, just off the A1.

As reported by Aycliffe Today in October, DCC started infrastructure work to prepare for the future development of the 52-hectare Forrest Park site, which is near Hitachi Rail Europe’s existing factory.

The enabling works, due to be completed by the end of this autumn, will see construction of a new, signalised junction on the A167 – for better access to both the new site and Aycliffe Business Park – and an internal link road and a power substation.

The improvements are designed to remove existing barriers to the continued success and further expansion of Aycliffe Business Park.

By doing so it is hoped that it will unlock a potential investment of nearly £140m from the private sector to develop the site including, due to its location, a possible rail freight interchange.

It’s estimated the site could see the creation of 3,200 jobs and deliver a Gross Value Added (GVA) of £495m over the next 20 years.

The infrastructure work is being part-funded by a £13m grant from the Local Enterprise Partnership